Head of Operations

Bindbridge Ltd; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Bindbridge Ltd is seeking a Head of Operations in the United Kingdom to build and run the company's operating infrastructure as it grows. You will work directly with the founders, owning what to stop or start, and performing hands-on work while the function scales with the team.

You will drive planning, budgeting and hiring processes, align priorities to a clear roadmap, and implement efficient systems to reduce bureaucracy and accelerate execution.

Qualifications

• Experience running operations in a high-performing startup or similarly demanding environment.
• You take loosely defined problems, work out what actually needs to happen and drive them through to completion without waiting for instructions.
• You decide where process is worth having and where it is not, building the minimum needed to make something reliable rather than importing big-company bureaucracy.
• You reduce complicated issues to the decision that needs to be made, the relevant information and your recommendation.
• You hold several important workstreams at once without losing track of commitments, deadlines or details, and set the documentation standard for the company.
• You care about getting things right, take responsibility when something goes wrong and are happy to do unglamorous work when it needs doing.
• You naturally reach for AI tools, automation and software to make your own work and the wider company more effective.

Responsibilities

• Run the planning cycle that turns company priorities into owned, tracked work, prepare board and investor reporting, and support fundraising and diligence alongside the founders.
• Own the budget, financial model, cash-flow forecasting and monthly close, and run tax and annual filings with our accountants so the founders always know where the company stands.
• Build the infrastructure to hire, onboard and retain exceptional people, owning the employee and contractor lifecycle, policies, performance cycles and offboarding as the team grows.
• Own contracting across CROs, contractors, advisers and suppliers, and keep oversight of board and shareholder approvals, statutory filings and insurance, coordinating external counsel where needed.
• Build lightweight systems that make the company faster rather than adding bureaucracy, maintaining clear sources of truth across our core tools and automating or simplifying recurring work wherever possible.
• Own the practices a distributed team runs on, from recurring company meetings to offsites and equipment.

Job description

About us

• Bindbridge is advancing sustainable agriculture through AI-powered molecular glue discovery and design.
• Backed by Speedinvest and Nucleus Capital , we are building a computational platform to bring targeted protein degradation to agriculture.
• Our first goal is to discover herbicides that revolutionise crop protection while minimising environmental impact.

The role

• We are looking for a Head of Operations to help build and run Bindbridge as we grow, owning the operating infrastructure that lets our founders and wider team stay focused on science, product and commercial priorities.
• You will work directly with the founders, with the standing to say what the company should stop doing as well as what it should start.
• This is a hands-on role to start, and the function will grow under you as the company does.
• Success means Bindbridge operates with clarity and pace, important problems have clear owners, and the founders are no longer the default owner of operational work.

Key responsibilities

• Run the planning cycle that turns company priorities into owned, tracked work, prepare board and investor reporting, and support fundraising and diligence alongside the founders.
• Own the budget, financial model, cash-flow forecasting and monthly close, and run tax and annual filings with our accountants so the founders always know where the company stands.
• Build the infrastructure to hire, onboard and retain exceptional people, owning the employee and contractor lifecycle, policies, performance cycles and offboarding as the team grows.
• Own contracting across CROs, contractors, advisers and suppliers, and keep oversight of board and shareholder approvals, statutory filings and insurance, coordinating external counsel where needed.
• Build lightweight systems that make the company faster rather than adding bureaucracy, maintaining clear sources of truth across our core tools and automating or simplifying recurring work wherever possible.
• Own the practices a distributed team runs on, from recurring company meetings to offsites and equipment.

What you will bring

• Experience running operations in a high-performing startup or similarly demanding environment, with evidence that you can take ownership beyond a narrowly defined function.
• You take loosely defined problems, work out what actually needs to happen and drive them through to completion without waiting for instructions.
• You decide where process is worth having and where it is not, building the minimum needed to make something reliable rather than importing big-company bureaucracy.
• You reduce complicated issues to the decision that needs to be made, the relevant information and your recommendation.
• You hold several important workstreams at once without losing track of commitments, deadlines or details, and set the documentation standard for the company.
• You care about getting things right, take responsibility when something goes wrong and are happy to do unglamorous work when it needs doing.
• You naturally reach for AI tools, automation and software to make your own work and the wider company more effective.

Nice to have

• Experience owning UK finance and compliance end to end, including VAT, corporation tax, R&D tax relief, Companies House filings and EMI options.
• Experience building an operations function from scratch in an early-stage or venture-backed company, and scaling it as headcount grew.
• Experience running research procurement, including CRO and supplier contracts in a science-led company.
• Experience setting up people operations at scale, including policies, HR systems and performance processes.
• Experience working alongside a technical, research-led team in science, biotech or deep tech.
• Opportunity to contribute directly to global food security and environmental sustainability through safer, smarter crop protection.
• Work directly with the founders, with meaningful ownership of how an early-stage AI and science company is built and run.
• Join a culture that values rigour and speed, where ownership and collaboration across science and engineering are core principles.
• We are a remote company, and meet in person through quarterly meetups, usually in London.

Application process

• CV review - We look for relevant expertise and motivation to join an early-stage, mission-driven team.
• Introductory chat - An informal conversation about your experience and what you are looking for.
• Technical interview - A practical exercise exploring your approach to analysis, communication and execution.
• Final interview - A conversation with the co-founders about our mission and values.
• References and offer - We check references before making an offer if both sides wish to proceed.

What to expect

• Bindbridge is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and we encourage you to apply even if you do not match every line above.
• No advance preparation, take-home exercises or algorithmic coding tests at any stage.
• We do not use AI tools to assess candidates. Every application is reviewed by a person, and all hiring decisions are made by people.
• If any adjustments would help you take part, let us know when we contact you and we will be happy to discuss them.